The Mets tonight welcome a healthy Pedro Martinez back to the team, hopefully to stay awhile but you never know. To make room they optioned newly activated reliever Carlos Muniz. Claudio Vargas in the meantime got a sudden introduction to his new role as a long man, mopping up for irritating lefty Oliver Perez after the Giants bashed Perez for six momentum-eviserating runs in one-third of an inning Monday.

The arrangement saves a starting assignment for Mike Pelfrey, who, for all of his struggles has turned in more quality starts with a lot less hype than, say, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy combined. Oliver Perez too for that matter.

Pelfrey may not ever be the guy the Mets hoped he'd be when they called his name in Omar Minaya's first draft as head honcho three years ago this week, but finding that out is the right thing to do.

Speaking of anniversaries, it was 10 years ago this Sunday that while playing ultimate frisbee in Yonkers, I collapsed to the turf with what would later be diagnosed as a ruptured Achilles tendon. Aside from effectively ending a maniacal pursuit to become the world's most famous frisbee player, the coming months off my feet for surgery and subsequent rehab would lead to the even stupider quest to chronicle every uniform number in Mets history.

Stop us if you heard this before: The Mets on Tuesday sent ineffective reliever Matt Wise to the disabled list for the second time this year and for the second time this year, recalled New Orleans closer Carlos Muniz to replace him.

As you might also know, Wise's arrival over the offseason inadvertently triggered Muniz to switch from his first-issued No. 38 and alight in 32, which he was also dressed in earlier this year.

As you also already know, the Mets held an especially unsatisfying press conference Monday during which Omar Minaya acted as if he didn't want Willie Randolph fired and Randolph continued pretending his team was OK and plays hard for him. They gave vaguely encouraging lip-service to a need to try and improve the team and suggested they had a lot of the same ideas (such as?) while perpetuating the myth that Randolph's remarks to Ian O'Connor deserved the attention and scrutiny they received, and that Randolph necessarily had anything to apologize for but the revolting play of his team.

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A few more book-related events this week not to be missed: Tonight (actually Wednesday morning at 1 a.m., along with Matthew Silverman, guesting live in-studio on the Joey Reynolds Show on WOR-radio (and simulcast nationwide). You can listen to an archive of the event at the same address.

On Friday May 30, Matthew and I will host a book signing and pregame schmoozing at LaGuardia Holiday Inn's Pine Bar & Restaurant, at 5:30 p.m. Come on over, have a drink, buy a book for your Dad, or get yours signed. Afterwards we'll hoof it to Shea and catch the return of Joe Torre.

The Mets on Thursday reassigned longshot reliever candidates Carlos Muniz and Willie Collazo to their minor league camp, and by doing so freed up numbers 32 and 36, respectively. Jason Vargas, who was assigned a different number this spring (39) than last year (43), also left to have surgery and is out for awhile, the Daily News said.

As you might not care to remember, Muniz and Collazo were among the desperate moves the Mets found themselves forced to make as a collective suck infected the bullpen last September and, along with unreliable starting pitching, too many guys getting picked off first base, lack of hustle, lack of focus, lack of brains, lack of courage, overconfidence, underconfidence, stupid decisions, and a few things that didn’t go our way, cost the Mets the division they probably should have won.

Collazo we’ll remember for the goof of spelling his name improperly on the back of his jersey. Muniz, who spent most of the year in AA, debuted in that nightmarish 10-9 loss to the Nationals mopping up for Mr. I’m-Not-Devastated, and the seemingly innocent single run Muniz loomed large when the Mets’ 6-run rally in the ninth didn’t tie the game but left them one run short. Of all the disastrous Mets games last year, and there were plenty to choose from, that one probably burned me the most.

The Mets as expected activated Dave Williams 32 prior to Sunday’s getaway in Houston and the Astros summarily beat him silly. The question as to who would be demoted to make room was answered when Ricky Ledee 9 was optioned to AAA.

The 8-3 loss sent the Mets limping into the break still in first place, but hardly looking like a championship team. While injuries have been a part of the struggle, it’s the performance of the guys out there everyday — particularly the right side of the infield — that’s really been a drag. That and the fact that some Mets just seem … unhappy. There’s Reyes sulking after bouncing out and and failing to run out grounders. There’s Heilman and his hangdog expression. LoDuca blowing up at umpires and/or the press. Wagner flattening a teammate with a comment in the papers.